Зима тревоги нашей

           Theleakyvalveoftheoldboxtoilethissedsoftly.Marullowouldn’tgetanewvalvebecausethewaterwasn’tmeteredandwhocared.Iwenttothefrontofthestoreandliftedaslottedtwo-poundweightfromtheold-fashionedbalancescale.InthetoiletIhungtheweightonthechainabovetheoakentassel.Thetoiletflushedandkeptonflushing.Iwentbacktothefrontofthestoretolistenandcouldhearitbubblingandscoldinginthebowl.It’sasoundyoucan’tmistakeforanythingelse.ThenIreturnedtheweighttoitsbaronthescaleandtookmyplaceinmypulpitbehindthecounter.Mycongregationintheshelvesstoodwaiting.Poordevils,theycouldn’tgetaway.IparticularlynoticedtheMickeyMousemasksmilingdownfromitsboxinthepewofbreakfastfoods.ThatremindedmeofmypromisetoAllen.Ifoundtheextensionhandforgrabbingthingsfromtopshelvesandtookaboxdownandstooditundermycoatinthestoreroom.WhenIwasbackinthepulpit,thenextMickeyMouseinlinesmileddownatme.

           Ireachedbehindthecannedgoodsandbroughtoutthegraylinensackofsmallchangeforthecashregister,then,rememberingsomething,reachedfartheruntilmyhandfoundtheoldgreasy.38-caliberrevolverthathadbeenthereeversinceIcanremember.ItwasasilveredIverJohnsonwithmostofthesilverpeeledoff.Ibrokeitandsawthecartridgesgreenwithverdigris.Thecylinderwassosluggishwithancientgreasethatitturnedwithdifficulty.